jogging down memory lane

I've been thinking about time a lot recently...

How much time I spend not sleeping due to caring for my babies, how much time it takes to get the house going and everyone ready for the day and how much time it takes to wind the house down at night only to get in bed and do it all over again the next day.

Then there's that realization of, oh my gosh I can't believe our first born is already two and a half years old and our baby boy is almost 6 weeks old. There are those days that are so sweet where I wish I could freeze time and then those days I wish I could speed up time and get past certain phases. 

Finally there are those days that I look back on and can't believe they are gone forever. F O R E V E R. 

I think we all have those moments where we smell something that takes us back to an old memory or a song that will take you right back to that special place or certain person. I've been having a lot of those moments recently. 

I've spent so much time thinking back on my childhood these past couple of months and it all seems so surreal. In a way I feel like those days were just yesterday.

 I close my eyes and I'm back on my grandma and grandpa Parker's "farm". I'm tending to all the animals, shopping with my grandma, cutting and coloring my grandpas hair, eating my heart out and being spoiled rotten. I smell a certain fireplace smell and I'm right back in a little cabin in Big Bear with my family and picture myself building snowmen with my Pops. Big bags of peanuts remind me of him feeding all the squirrels in the mountains. Unconditional love is a word that comes to mind when I think of them. I can count the number of times they got mad at me on one hand. That says a lot because I was stubborn child. They might not have had much but I will never forget how they loved me.

More recently songs and smells have taken me back to time with my grandpa Marshall and grandma Earla. Days that really were just yesterday. I close my eyes and can hear my grandpa talking to me, always encouraging me and teaching me something new. I remember all of the stories he would tell, so many of them with laughter and others with tears as he would tell me about the war and how blessed we are to live in this great country. I think back to all of the sleep overs I had at their house on Ogle Street and how special they made me feel each time I came over. Grandpa would make his blueberry pancakes while wearing his famous apron and grandma would always make me my favorite dinners. Their house always seemed so magical. Now that they are no longer there and their house is almost empty.. the magic is gone. I never imagined I would see my favorite house empty. I'm just going to close my eyes and remember the way it was.

To this day the smell of fresh cut grass takes me back to our old house on Mayfair Ave, I'm a little girl who spent every minute while the sun was up outside. I'm riding my bike around the neighborhood, building forts on the side of the house and my dad is working in the garden. 

I never thought those days would be gone. It's been four years today since that chapter in my life started to close. Four year ago I lost my Pops, one year ago we lost grandma Parker, three months ago we lost grandpa Marshall and now we're clinging onto the short time that we have left with grandma Earla. I look at my sweet grandma and so badly want to rewind time and have her back to the way she used to be before parkinsons took over her body. But instead I will cherish the time that I have left with her and shower her with all my love.

Time, it goes so fast.

So thankful for my past and all of the sweet memories that I carry with me. Now it's time I cling tight to the memories that are being made at this very minute with my precious babies and our parents for one day all too soon they too will just be memories.

I think I'll just close my eyes and turn on "The Best Day" by Taylor Swift because then I am back on a beautiful road in Nashville with all the ones I love in the place I love most. 

...and this song that's playing, it's what I heard as I pulled out of my grandparents house yesterday after cleaning it out. I totally felt like it was a sign that my grandpa was there with us. I'm so thankful for such sweet tearful reminders. 

one month

Happy 1 month to our sweet son!

I cannot believe that we have known you for a whole month. Our first month with you has flown by yet we feel like we've known you forever. Our hearts are filled with so much love for you, we are head over heels for you baby boy! I am experiencing a whole new kind of love with you in our life. Your snuggles are my favorite pastime, your grunts crack us up, your smile melts my heart and the love you have filled us with has made me a better person.

Will continues to amaze us daily. He loves to eat, pass gas, snuggle and ..sleep! We finally busted out the swaddle me and are getting 4 and 5 hour stretches of sleep during the night. Thank you Jesus!

One of my favorite things about Will is his sweet smile. He has my grandpa Marshall's mouth and seeing him smile brings so much comfort and joy to my heart. I absolutely love how the Lord works. He created our precious son so perfectly and for Him to add such sweet resemblances is such a gift.

We are so in love with you, Will!

Happy Love

I love Valentines Day. Chocolate. Flowers...and more chocolate!
But most of all, I love that it's all about L O V E.

My heart is filled with lots of that stuff these days.

I packed the babies up and we went to lunch with the best husband and daddy ever!

We then headed to my jeweler to get my ring cleaned and pick up a diamond necklace that I won! So fun!

The rest of the day was just me and these cute faces.

Big Sister is a ham

I enjoyed a romantic dinner for one by myself on the couch last night while my man was in class. When he got home he surprised his girls with valentines and flowers.

Kate loves her flowers, can't wait to plant them once the rain passes.

opening her Valentines from mommy!

I am so incredibly thankful for my valentine, my precious husband who works so hard for his family and never complains. He is more than I could have ever asked for and I can't imagine living a day without him by my side.

Our little valentines are amazing and the love that they have filled our hearts with it beyond what I ever knew was possible.

Hope y'all had a great day celebrating love..whatever that looks like to you.

Hi.

I'm two weeks in on this mom of two gig and I think I'm getting the hang of it! Most of our days have been spent at home but I have conquered 3 outings out on my own! I have yet to take Will out in a "public" place since he's still so tiny...we've only been to friends houses but it's a great start and I'm feeling more confident. If only I had realized how easy 1 kid was! Big sister is doing a lot better and I think the worst is over with the crazy tantrums *knock on wood*. She loves her baby brother and has never wavered on her love for him.

Our precious Will is doing amazingly well! He is eating like a champ! He weighed in at 7lbs 11oz yesterday at the doctor! Up a full pound and 2 ounces since we left the hospital. He is the definition of dream baby. His days and nights are still mixed up which has been really fun. hahaha Even though he's up a good portion of the night and I'm exhausted it's not bad because he doesn't cry. He just wants to be held and look around and let's be honest here, I'm soaking in all the snuggles. There is nothing like newborn snuggles!

It's funny as I think back to how I was so worried about having two and wondering how I was going to love Will as much as I love Kate. Our sweet boy has absolutely captivated my heart and now it's hard to imagine what life was like without him. I can't fathom living without these two treasures. My heart continues to grow and overflow with crazy love for our blessings.

It may be a little crazy over here these days but I wouldn't trade this time for the world. 

Stinky diapers, tantrums, no sleep, piles of laundry & a house that needs a good cleaning.

All of it will be gone too soon and someone recently shared this with me, 

"the days may seem long, but the time is so short"

So excuse my messy house, my overflowing laundry basket and toys that are sprawled throughout the house...I'm busy soaking in every second and loving on my babies.